HOA Software for Austin, Texas

Yes. Many Austin neighborhoods operate under deed restrictions recorded in the county property records rather than a formal HOA declaration. Hivepoint supports these communities — you can track lot owners, document deed restriction violations, maintain enforcement records, and store the recorded restriction documents. The enforcement workflow is the same whether your community has a formal HOA or just a deed restriction association (DRA). The key legal difference is that a DRA typically cannot collect mandatory dues unless the deed restrictions specifically authorize it, and enforcement remedies are different — but the recordkeeping and documentation needs are identical.

Texas SB 1588 (effective 2021) applies to planned communities governed under Texas Property Code Chapter 209. Key requirements: boards must hold open meetings with homeowner comment periods; communities with more than 60 lots must make financial records, meeting minutes, and governing documents available online; board elections must use written (secret) ballot with an independent inspector of elections; and associations must provide a resale certificate within 10 business days. Non-compliance can result in $500 per-violation penalties. Austin-area communities that recently crossed the 60-lot threshold are most at risk of unknowingly failing the online posting requirement.

The developer-to-homeowner transition (also called 'turnover') is one of the highest-risk moments for a new HOA. Texas Property Code §209.0065 sets out specific transition requirements, including the developer's obligation to deliver financial records, reserve funds, contracts, and the homeowner roster. Practically, many Austin-area developers deliver incomplete records. When your board takes over: audit all bank accounts, verify the reserve fund balance matches what the developer reported, demand copies of all vendor contracts (landscaping, insurance, common area maintenance), and get the governing documents recorded correctly at the county. Hivepoint can store all of these from day one so the board starts organized rather than catching up.

Texas SB 1588 requires HOAs with more than 60 lots to provide an online payment option for dues — boards cannot refuse to accept online payment if a homeowner requests it. Smaller communities have more flexibility but are still encouraged to offer online payment to reduce delinquency. Austin's tech-heavy demographic means owners expect digital payment options as a baseline. Hivepoint's Community Edition includes online dues payment through the resident portal.

Under Texas Property Code §209.005, owners have the right to inspect financial records, meeting minutes, board resolutions, and governing documents. Communities with more than 60 lots must post these online — not just make them available on request. The association must respond within 10 business days of a written records request, and failure to comply can result in a $500 penalty. Boards that store records in Hivepoint can respond to inspection requests in minutes rather than scrambling through email archives or shared drives.

Austin-area HOAs in master-planned communities — Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Round Rock, Kyle, Buda — are adding homeowners constantly as new phases are built out. Hivepoint handles the full homeowner lifecycle: add new lots as they close escrow, send welcome information, set up dues billing, and grant portal access. When boards change after annual elections, the next set of volunteers inherits a complete, organized system rather than a pile of email threads. For communities in developer-controlled phases, Hivepoint can import existing rosters and begin organizing records ahead of the formal turnover.